Ewing Family Journal Volume 20 – Number 1 February 2014 ISSN: 1948-1187 Published by: Ewing Family Association www.EwingFamilyAssociation.org ISSN: 1948-1187 Ewing Family Association 1330 Vaughn Court Aurora, Illinois 60504 www.EwingFamilyAssociation.org CHANCELLOR Wallace K. Ewing [email protected] PAST CHANCELLORS 2006-2012 David Neal Ewing [email protected] 2004-2006 George William Ewing [email protected] 1998-2004 Joseph Neff Ewing Jr [email protected] 1995-1998 Margaret (Ewing) Fife 1993-1995 Rev. Ellsworth Samuel Ewing OFFICERS Board Chair Treasurer Secretary Wallace K. Ewing Linda 'Lynn' (Ewing) Coughlin Beth (Ewing) Toscos [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen Avery Linda (Ewing) 'Lynn' Coughlin Daniel C. Ewing [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] David Neal Ewing Joseph Neff Ewing Jr [email protected] [email protected] Martin S. Ewing Wallace K. Ewing Eleanor (Ewing) Swineford [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Beth (Ewing) Toscos Jane P. (Ewing) Weippert [email protected] [email protected] ACTIVITY COORDINATORS Archives Clanship EGD Project Mary (Ewing) Gosline David Neal Ewing William Ewing Riddle [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Genealogist Internet Services Journal Membership Karen Avery Martin S. Ewing William Ewing 'Bill' Riddle Jill (Ewing) Spitler [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Merchandise New Members Y-DNA Project Virginia Ewing Okie Jane P. (Ewing) Weippert David Neal Ewing [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ewing Family Journal Volume 20 Number 1 February 2014 Published by: Ewing Family Association, 1330 Vaughn Court, Aurora, Illinois 60504 Web Site: www.EwingFamilyAssociation.org The Ewing Family Journal is published quarterly. Members of the Ewing Family Association receive the Journal as part of their membership. Copies of previous issues are $5.00 each, and copies of previous volumes are $20.00 ($25.00 for overseas mailings). For copies of previous issues or volumes, contact William E. Riddle at [email protected]). Through 2008 this publication was titled Journal of Clan Ewing. The name was changed in January 2009 to reflect a change in the name of the publishing organization from Clan Ewing in America to Ewing Family Association. All contributions are subject to editing. Ewing Family Association does not assume liability for statements of fact or opinion by contributors, but proven errors will be corrected. In addition, the opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of Ewing Family Association or its Officers, Board Members or Activity Coordinators. ISSN: 1948-1187 © 2014, Ewing Family Association. All rights reserved. Version 7.0 From the Editor William E. Riddle, Journal Editor (+1 505.988.1092, [email protected]) RIP: Peter 'Pete' Seeger1 (1919-2014) Champion of Folk Music and Social Change Peter 'Pete' Seeger was only locally known as a folk-singer/folk-songwriter/banjo- player prior to becoming, in the 1940s, nationally – and soon thereafter, internationally – known and recogized as a member of the Weavers – founded by Pete along with Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman. The Weavers were pretty much single-handedly responsible for initiating the acoustic folk-music period of the 1950s and 1960s, introducing the world to the music of Woodrow Wilson 'Woody' Guthrie (This Land is Your Land, Talking Dust Bowl Blues, Deportee, Do Re Mi, etc.), Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter (Goodnight Irene, On a Monday, Midnight Special, Long Island Line, etc.) and several other gospel/folk- song writers (We Shall Overcome, Amazing Grace, Ain't Gonna Study War No More, Midnight Special, John Hardy, (Give Me That) Old-Time Religion, Skip to My Lou, Pick a Bale of Cotton, Darling Cory, On Top of Old Smokey, Follow the Drinking Gourd, The Wreck of the John B., etc.) The Weavers started to break-up in the late-1950s when Pete left the group because he did not want to participate in recording music for cigarette ads. Pete, and, eventually the other Weavers, went on to individual folk-singer careers. Initially dampened during the McCarthy Era, Pete's career blossened as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture and environmental causes. It's arguably true that 80%-plus of the world's current two- to hundred-year olds – and not just here in the U.S. – have heard Pete perform his songs, or the songs of others, and had their perception of the world, and how to responsibly live in it, positively affected. Pete is best known as a strident alto/tenor singer, master banjo-player and the writer of songs with catchy, singable tunes with parsimonious, simple, yet insightful and thought-provoking lyrics. His most well-known creations include: Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season), Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, If I Had a Hammer, Abiyoyo, etc. My personal favorite song in Pete's discography is the little-known Get Up And Go (see next page), a rendition of a poem written by an anonymous reporter/editor for a St. Louis newspaper which was collected, adapted, and set to music by Pete.2 For some reason, this song caught my attention when I was a 'youngster' in my late-twenties. It was one of the first songs I learned to play on my inherited-originally-tenor-and-later-converted-to-five-string banjo. 1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Seeger 2 Most sources for this song's lyrics attribute them to Pete Seeger. According to Pete's autobiography, however, he learned that the writer was a mid-western newspaper man. Pete contacted the author to offer him credit and royalties for the song. The newspaper man declined Pete's offer, wishing to remain anonymous. Despite the author's anonymity, it is known that the poem was published in a St Louis newspaper, most likely the Globe-Democrat, which is now defunct< in the 1950s. ii Ewing Family Journal Vol. 20, No. 1 (February 2014) I've continuously returned to it as – believe it or not – a pick-me-up as I have faced and coped with, over the years, 'growing old' with a smile, light heart and positive attitude. In addition to being a widely-known singer/songwriter/banjo-player, Pete was a punster/jokester/satirist, teacher, writer/poet/story-teller, humanitarian, and anti-war/environmental activist. His general philosophy of and approach to life are revealed – in addition to through his songs' lyrics – in several pithy quotes: Every child should be issued a banjo at birth. Don't let schoolin' get in the way of your education. Technology will save us if it doesn't wipe us out first. Singing with children in the schools has been the most rewarding experience of my life. The world has lost one of its finest persons. May Pete rest in peace knowing that he had a very broad international impact, was much enjoyed, and will long be remembered. Wm E. Riddle Get Up And Go Lyrics by Anonymous. Collected, Adapted and Set to Music by Pete Seeger. Chorus: Third Verse How do I know my youth is all spent? When I was young my slippers were red. Well, my get up and go has got up and went. I could kick up my heels right over my head. But in spite of it all I'm able to grin When I was older my slippers were blue, When I think of the places my get up has been. But still I could dance the whole night thru. First Verse: Fourth Verse Old age is golden, or so I've heard said. Now I'm yet older; my slippers are black. But sometimes I wonder as I crawl into bed. I huff to the store and I puff my way back. With my ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup, But never you laugh. I don't mind at all. My eyes on the table until I wake up. I'd rather be huffing than not puff at all. Second Verse: Fifth Verse: As sleep dims my vision I say to myself: I get up each morning and dust off my wits. Is there anything else I should lay on the shelf? Open the paper and read the obits. But though nations are warring and Obama is vexed. If I'm not there I know I'm not dead. I'll stick around to see what happens next. So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed. Vol. 20, No. 1 (February 2014) Ewing Family Journal iii Ewing Family Association Thirteenth Biennial Gathering Down the Canal into the New Frontier Fort Wayne, Indiana September 19-21, 2014 See Pages 78-81 For Further Information iv Ewing Family Journal Vol. 20, No. 1 (February 2014) Ewing Family Journal Volume 20 Number 1 February 2014 From the Editor ........................................................................................................................................ ii RIP: Peter 'Pete' Seeger (1919-2014) .................................................................................................. ii CONTRIBUTIONS One American Family – Part VIII .............................................................................................................. 1 Jerry and Buster: Two for the Road...................................................................................................... 2 Marjorie Elizabeth 'Marj' 'Jerry' Kelley .............................................................................................. 2 Burke McKendree 'Buster' Ewing ..................................................................................................... 7 AE Ewing Family Evolution ............................................................................................................ 12 Buster and Jerry's Courtship